Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs accuser drops Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s names from lawsuit
Jay-Z and Beyoncé were previously named in a lawsuit that accused Sean ‘Diddy‘ Combs of sexual assault in 2015. However, the superstar couple have now been taken out of the filing.
The accuser, Joseph Manzaro, filed an amended lawsuit in Florida on April 11th that removed their names from the legal documents. They were first named as witnesses after the story was reported on April 2nd.
According to Page Six, Jay and Bey’s lawyers provided information proving they weren’t at the location of the alleged incident, claiming they weren’t even in the same state. A Washington Square News article claimed Jay was at an NYU appearance then. The Daily Mail also said that he and Bey went on a romantic trip to Hawaii shortly after.
In the original complaint, Manzaro alleges he was drugged and taken to a home on Miami’s Star Island, owned by Gloria and Emilio Estefan, for Combs’ son Christian’s birthday. He claims he was in a “deteriorating state” after being drugged and paraded around a party while wearing a penis mask. The event has been described as a “freak-off.”
Manzaro alleged he was taken to a room with Jay-Z and Beyoncé, with the singer questioning why a “half-naked” man with a sex toy on his face was standing in front of her. Both artists weren’t named defendants, but the claim has since been removed from the complaint.
Jay’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, told People, “[Jay-Z] wasn’t in Florida at that time to witness this incident — he was engaged in easily findable public activities that prove he was not at this event. This is more nonsense that erodes the trust in our ‘justice’ system.”
In addition, Combs’ legal team denied the claims. “This complaint demonstrates the depraved lengths plaintiffs will travel to garner headlines in pursuit of a payday,” they said in a statement. “No sane person reading this complaint could credit this story. Mr Combs looks forward to having his day in court, where these lies — and the perverse motives of those who told them — will be revealed.”
For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.